Foothold device

ABSTRACT

A scaffold having a number of platform plates connected through independent chains. Independent chains are also provided above the uppermost platform and below the lowermost platform for connection to upper fitting members and lower fitting members, respectively integral with a wall. The latter chains are provided with tensioning means enabling the scaffold to be firmly and rigidly secured to the wall. The platforms are also adjustable horizontally.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a foothold device which is to be provided onsuch vertical wall surface as of a high building and is characterized inthat foothold plates are connected with each other through chains,therefore can be transported and housed as stacked as they are, are easyto set, do not twist the chains and are easy to horizontally set.

BACKGROUND TECHNIQUE

There is already a method of forming a foothold to be provided on suchvertical wall surface as of a high building wherein framework membersare stacked in turn on the ground surface or wherein embedded piecescalled inserts are provided in advance in concrete for a building or inprefabricated units and are used.

The first method, that is, the method of forming a foothold by stackingframework members on the ground surface along the wall surface of abuilding shall be described first. It has defects that many frameworkmembers are required for a high building, troubles are required for theassembling work, much labor and time are required for the disassemblyand transportation in moving the field and further, as the members arestacked from below in the assembling work, there is a danger that theframework may fall.

The second method, that is, the method of forming a foothold byproviding embedded pieces in concrete for a building or in prefabricatedunits and utilizing them shall be described now. It has defects thatembedded pieces called inserts must be provided in advance in concreteunits or prefabricated units, troubles are required to make thefoothold, the cost is high and further an aftertreatment must be made byfitting plugs into the exposed part of the wall surface after the workis completed. According to the present invention, foothold plates areconnected with each other through independent chains so as to be easy tocarry, house and set, to prevent the chains from being twisted, to beeasy to horizontally set and to make the foothold setting work safe.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a foothold device to be suspended fromabove wherein foothold plates are connected with each other throughindependent chains substantially in four corners and further respectiveindependent chains are connected above the uppermost foothold plate andbelow the lowermost foothold plate and are connected and fixed tofitting members provided in the upper and lower parts of the wallsurface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a chain fitting part;

FIG. 3 is a disassembled perspective view of a handrail fitting part;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a distance adjusting member part;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a length adjusting part;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a twist preventing member part;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a device according to the presentinvention showing another embodiment.

BEST FORM TO WORK THE INVENTION

The present invention shall be described in detail in the following withreference to the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 1 showing a perspective view of a device according to thepresent invention, reference number 1 denotes a wall surface of a highbuilding and fitting members 2a, 2b and 3a, 3b are fitted at apredetermined width in the lateral direction to the upper and lowerparts of the wall surface 1. Needless to say, independent chains 4a, 4band 5a, 5b are fitted respectively to the above mentioned fittingmembers 2a, 3a. Length adjusting members or concretely turnbuckles 6 areprovided respectively in proper positions of the chains 4a, 4b and 5a,5b. Needless to say, instead of the fitting members 2a, 3a, such fittingmembers as rails may be parallelly projected from the roof and footholdplates may be suspended from them. Then, chain fitting pieces 8a, 8b and9a, 9b are connected respectively to the lower ends of the abovementioned chains 4a, 4b and 5a, 5b.

In FIG. 1, the above mentioned chain fitting pieces 8a, 8b and 9a, 9bare not directly fitted respectively substantially to the four cornersof a foothold plate 7 but a supporting rod 10 is provided between thechain fitting pieces 8a and 9a, a supporting rod 11 is provided betweenthe chain fitting pieces 8b and 9b and the foothold plate 7 is providedbetween the supporting rods 10 and 11.

That is to say, hooks 12 engaging respectively with the above mentionedsupporting rods 10 and 11 are provided respectively on both sides atboth ends of the foothold plate 7 in advance and are engaged with thesupporting rods 10 and 11. Therefore, the foothold plate 7 can beremoved from other parts in order to be carried or housed.

Further, the chain fitting pieces 8a and 8b located outside in FIG. 1are respectively formed as shown in FIG. 2 so that the horizontal degreeof the foothold plate 7 can be adjusted. Needless to say, the chainfitting pieces 9a, 9b may be also formed the same.

That is to say, to explain the chain fitting piece 8b for example, achanneled bracket 13 is welded to the chain fitting piece 8 and a malescrew rod 14 bent in the upper portion to form a handle is screwedbetween the upper and lower pieces of the bracket and is screwed with afemale screw hole 15 formed in the end portion of the above mentionedsupporting rod 11.

Therefore, when the male screw rod 14 is rotated, for example, thesupporting rod 11 will be moved up and down at one end and, even if thewall surface is curved more or less, the foothold plate will be able tobe fitted horizontally. Now, to explain the foothold plate 7, framemembers 16 at both ends are formed to be hollow and distance adjustingmembers 17 are respectively inserted into them.

That is to say, the distance adjusting member 17 is to adjust thedistance between the wall surface 1 of the high building and thefoothold plate 7 and is fitted at the tip with such friction member 18as of rubber. A fixing screw 19 is screwed in a proper position of theframe member 16 at each end of the foothold plate 7.

Therefore, when the fixing screw 19 is loosened, the distance adjustingmember 17 is moved in or out and the fixing screw 19 is fastened in arequired position, the fixing screw 19 will be pressed at the tipagainst the distance adjusting member 17 and a predetermined distancewill be able to be obtained.

By the way, after a temporary distance adjustment, the device of thepresent invention is suspended and the above mentioned distanceadjustment can be made while sitting on the foothold 7 and pressing thewall surface 1 of the high building with the feet.

Then, foothold plates 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d,--are suspended respectivelysubstantially in the four corners at proper intervals below the abovementioned foothold 7.

They are fitted in turn respectively with independent chains 20a, 20band 21a, 21b below the above mentioned chain fitting pieces 8a, 8b and9a, 9b and are provided the same as the above mentioned foothold plate7. Needless to say, in the present invention, twist preventing members22 are provided respectively in proper positions of the chains 20a, 20band 21a, 21b.

They are formed, for example, as shown in FIG. 6. That is to say, therespective chains 20a, 20b and 21a, 21b may be connected between them inproper positions respectively through bolt-shaped pieces 23 so as to bequite free above and below. Further, the chains 20a, 20b and 21a, 21bare provided with handrails 24.

In the present invention, the handrails are formed, in advance, of pipesor the like so as to be substantially of the same size as of thefoothold plates 7, 7a, 7b,--and are provided respectively in the cornerswith chain inserting rings 25. As shown in FIG. 3, through holes 26 areprovided respectively in the opposed positions of the chain insertingrings 25, bolts 27 and nuts 28 are separately prepared and the bolt 27is inserted through the through holes 26 of the chain inserting ring topass through a ring 29 forming the chain and has the nut 28 screwed onthe other side so as to be fixed.

Lastly, below the lowermost foothold plate 7d, the independent chains20a, 30b and 31a, 31b are fitted respectively to the above mentionedfitting members 2b and 3b.

That is to say, the length adjusting members or concretely turnbuckles 6are provided respectively the same as the above mentioned chains 4a, 4band 5a, 5b in proper positions of the above mentioned chains 30a, 30band 31a, 31b but are used finally to tension the respective chainssuspending the foothold plates 7, 7a, 7b, 7c and 7d and to stabilize thefoothold plates 7, 7a, 7b, 7c and 7d rather than to adjust the length.

Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 7. Thisembodiment is more fundamental than the above mentioned embodiment. Inthis embodiment, the chain fitting pieces 8a and 8b whereby thehorizontal degree can be adjusted are not used and further thesupporting rods 10 and 11 are not provided as in the above mentionedembodiment but chain fitting pieces 32a, 32b and 33a, 33b are fitteddirectly to the foothold plates 7 and the other formations are the sameas in the above mentioned embodiment.

By the way, in the drawing, reference numeral 34 denotes a ladderconnecting between the foothold plates. In setting the device of thepresent invention, a required number of foothold plates may be connectedthrough the chains 20a, 20b and 21a, 21b in advance on the ground andthe chains 4a, 4b and 5a, 5b of the uppermost foothold plate 7 may bepulled up and may be connected respectively to the upper fitting members2a and 3a. In such case, the uppermost foothold plate 7 will inclinedepending on the projection of the distance adjusting member 17 but willbe able to be easily made horizontal by the turnbuckles 6 providedrespectively on the above mentioned chains 4a, 4b and 5a, 5b and by themale screw rods 14 in the embodiment in FIG. 1. As a result, the lowerfootholds 7a, 7b, 7c and 7d will also necessarily become horizontal.

Lastly, the chains 30a, 30b and 31a, 31b of the lowermost foothold plate7d may be connected respectively to the lower fitting members 2b and 3band the turnbuckles 6 may be tightened to stabilize the entirety.

Utilizability in the Industry

As in the above, the foothold device of the present invention may beonly suspended from above, is easy to set, is easy to handle to carryand house and is most adapted as a foothold device for high buildings.Its utilizability in the industry is very high.

I claim:
 1. The scaffold for attachment to a building wall or the likehaving two pair of attachment fittings spaced laterally from each other,each pair of attachment fittings having an upper member and a lowermember spaced vertical from each other, comprising two pair of chains,the chains of each pair being securable to the upper and lower membersof an associated pair of fittings, a plurality of platforms locatedbetween the respective chains of each pair in vertically spacedintervals, means for attaching each of said platforms to each of saidchains comprising a bracket located on each chain at a positioncorresponding to the interval of said platform, a rod extending betweenthe corresponding brackets of each pair of chains, and hook meanslocated along the side edges of said platform and engaging over saidrods, the brackets located on the corresponding chain of each pair ofchains being provided with means for adjusting the horizontal level ofsaid rod to thereby adjust the level of said platform and means foradjusting the length of said chains located in that portion of each ofsaid chains above the uppermost platform and below the lower mostplatform whereby on securing said chains to said fitting said chains maybe placed under tension forming a rigid scaffold secured to said wall.2. The scaffold according to claim 1 wherein said at least one rod isprovided with an adjustable extension selectively positionable againstsaid wall.